You Decide!
by scarymez101
Summary: A story where the reader decides the fate of the characters! Merlin has had a typical day, but its about to become anything but ordinary. Which direction will he go in? What will he do next? You Decide! Rated T for safety, but may change. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so this is an idea I've had in my head for a while and I just thought I'd post it and see what you all think about it.**

**Its basically a story, where the readers decide whats going to happen next. At the end of each short entry, there will be two options to choose from and the first to get five votes via reviews will be what I write about. I'm open to suggestions, so feel free to put them with your vote =)  
>I won't update until I've got the votes, so its up to guys!<strong>

**This is a colab between me and my brother- JCtwinee, so he gets some credit too =D**

**There are no spoilers or warnings as such _yet_, but that could change- depends on where this story goes.**

**Here goes... Enjoy!**

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><p>It had been a typical day for Merlin and he was exhausted.<p>

He'd been up at the crack of dawn to run a few errands for Gaius, before rushing off to fulfil his duties for Arthur. He had been instructed to clean Arthurs shirts, polish his boots, repair and clean his armour, clean his room, change the sheets on his bed and muck out his horse stables.

After that, he had needed to pick some herbs for Gaius- the physician had been running low on yarrow root and rosemary for some time. He delivered the herbs, then returned to Arthurs chambers to make sure the young Prince had everything he needed before going to sleep.

It _had_ been a typical day for Merlin.

But as he was making his way back to his chambers for some much needed and well deserved rest, he saw someone walking across the grounds. Intrigued, he followed quietly. He saw them make for the drawbridge, then stop under the archway.

Merlin felt a powerful magic emanating from them; the air seemed to crackle around them, ever so slightly stirring the hooded cloak they wore. They seemed small and fragile in stature, but Merlin knew that appearances could be deceiving. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. Whoever they were, they were most likely trouble- you don't sneak around the grounds of Camelot at night without reason.

Merlin was about to follow, when something caught his eye. He looked down and saw a stone. Even by the pale light of the moon, he could see it was blood red. It was smooth, oval in shape and about the size of his fist, with a metal claw wrapped around the middle. The energy pulsating from this stone was immense. Merlin could feel the raw power of the Old Religion spilling forth, seeping into his body.

He felt an overwhelming urge to pick up this mysterious stone. But his eyes were drawn back to the figure on the bridge, as they headed for the woods.

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><p><strong>YOU DECIDE.<strong>

**What should Merlin do next?**

**Option A: Merlin follows the cloaked figure into the woods.**

**Option B: He picks up the strange, blood red stone.**

**Please review and vote for what you want to happen next- without your feedback and votes, this story will be a bust :'(**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok, so people weren't voting -_- but I didn't want to just leave it, so I've decided to change things a bit. I'll still leave it up to you guys to vote, but when I come to update, I'll count the votes and which ever has the highest number wins and that is what I'll be writing next. If it turns out to be a draw, I'll go with the first vote, so get yours in early!**

**Anyway- onward! Since I didn't get the number of votes I wanted, I gave the story to a couple of mates at Uni and they voted as well.**

**The verdict: Option B: He picks up the strange, blood red stone.**

_**Ever **_**so slight spolier for 2.11 and 3.05... if you squint.**

**Here goes...**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>Merlin took one last glance at the figure in the distance, but they were already gone. He turned to look at the stone. He wanted, desperately, to pick it up, but was unsure as to what would happen if he did.<p>

After encountering so many magical artefacts over the past few years, he had become cautious.

But there was something enticing about this stone. It seemed to glow brighter the longer he looked at it and the urge to pick it up, to feel its undiluted power, proved too strong. Merlins better judgement was overpowered.

He stooped and wrapped his fingers around the smooth surface of the stone, feeling the cold of metal claw against his skin.

He waited.

And waited.

For something to happen... Anything...

But nothing did.

Merlin frowned and studied the stone in his hands. Turning it over, he saw an inscription engraved into the fingers of the claw; words of the old religion.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had opened his mouth and the incantation was leaving his lips; long forgotten words that he didn't understand.

The world around him flashed, a multitude of colours blinking rapidly, growing brighter and brighter. Merlin squeezed his eyes shut to prevent the light from blinding him. After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes and what he saw made his blood turn to ice.

Arthur, sprawled on the floor, blood seeping from a gaping wound in his chest. The young Pendragon, the future King of Albion was... dead.

"No!" Merlin cried. "Arthur!" He tried to run to him, but before he reached the Prince, the image changed.

This time it was Gaius. He was lying on the floor of his chambers, white as snow with dark circles beneath his eyes, which were wide with fear. Merlin recognised that his guardian had been poisoned. The man he had come to see as a father, the man who had protected him through so much... dead.

Merlin began to cry. Tears of rage and sadness spilled from his eyes as he fought to reach him, to hold him in his arms one last time. But, again, the image dissolved and was replaced with another.

This time... it was Uther. He was slumped back on his throne, a dagger protruding from his chest... dead. Merlin paused. He knew all too well that Uther had to die before Arthur could become King and reunite the land; allow magic to return without the threat of execution. But for him to die like this?

The flashing colours returned and before long, the images were gone, replaced by the moonlit courtyard.

Merlin was confused, gasping for breath, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Gaius," he whispered. He shoved the stone into his pocket and raced for the physicians chambers.

_Please,_ he thought desperately, as he tore through the corridors._ Please say those images were not true... Please... say Gaius is still alive._

He burst through the door to the place he had come to call home and saw Gaius jump and turn round. A huge smile of relief spread across Merlins face.

"Merlin!" Gaius gasped. "You scared the life out of me."

"Sorry," Merlin said, the grin still firm on his face. He thought about telling Gaius about the stone, but thought against it- no point worrying him. "Um... I'm going to go to bed."

"Alright, goodnight Merlin."

"Night."

In his bedroom, he used a cloth to take the stone out of his pocket so there wasn't any chance of him experiencing any more horrific visions. Placing it on his bedside table, he studied it once more. A thought struck him.

_This stone must tell the future, like the crystal of neahtid,_ he thought. _But... surely this cannot be the future?_ He frowned, feeling angry with himself. _Why would I allow Arthur and Gaius to die? How could I stand by and watch them perish?_

He felt, for the first time, the stones evil hold on him. He felt the magic seeping into him and corrupting his mind.

_I must destroy it!_

He grabbed the stone and began to mutter words of magic to shatter the stone into a thousand harmless shards... then he stopped.

The stone may have predicted Arthurs and Gaius' death... but it had also predicted the death of Uther. It was a cruel death, yes, but he had to die in order for Albion to be born.

_I know there are countless futures, but they don't all have to happen. I can prevent Arthur from being attacked and stop Gaius from being poisoned... but maybe... maybe this is Uthers time to die._

He stared at the stone in his hand, unsure of what to do.

_I could keep the stone, perhaps learn more of these deaths... but I still feel the stone has a control over me..._

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><p><strong>YOU DECIDE!<strong>

**What should Merlin do next?**

**Option A: He destroys the stone, eliminating the possible evil it holds**

**Option B: He keeps the stone to learn more of the deaths he witnessed**

**Please review and vote for what you want to happen. I'll try and update as soon as I can, but exam time is upon me and I must study boooooooooooooooooooooooooo!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I 'm sorry to keep you waiting, but uni and exams suck major monkey trumpets! But! Exam time is now over (WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) and I will have more time to update! Yay!**

**A *big* thank you to all who voted- it is very much appreciated ^_^**

**The verdict: ****Option A: He destroys the stone, eliminating the possible evil it holds**

**I do apologise if this isn't what you voted for, but majority rules here folks. Sorry.**

**I hope you all enjoy it anyway!**

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><p>Merlin took one last look at the stone and frowned.<p>

_This thing is evil_, he thought. _I cannot possibly learn from this stone... it will only turn me against those I care about._

Merlin stretched his hand out in front of him; the stone nestled in the centre of his palm. He closed his eyes and muttered the spell he'd began to say earlier. His eyes snapped open.

In a flash of gold, the stone flew into the air and shattered with an almighty _CRACK_. Blood red shards and twisted pieces of metal shot everywhere. Merlin flung his arms in front of his face, barking more magical commands to protect him from injury.

When he lowered his arms, he saw no debris. He frowned and began to search for any shattered remains of the stone. Merlin was on his hands and knees, looking underneath his bed, and his eye had been drawn to something glinting in the firelight, when the door to his bedroom burst open.

"Merlin!"

The young warlock scurried out from underneath his bed to look at Gaius, with what he hoped was an innocent expression on his face. "... What?"

"Don't look at me like that. What have you been doing?"

Merlin shook his head. "Nothing."

"You are a terrible liar, Merlin," Gaius sighed. He fixed Merlin with an icy glare. "What was that noise?"

"What noise?"

The look that was being bored into Merlins eyes intensified. "I may be old, but I am not stupid," Gaius said testily, "and I am certainly not deaf! What happened?"

Merlin sighed. He didn't want to worry Gaius by telling him about the stone. "I... hit my head."

Gaius narrowed his eyes. "On what?"

Merlin glanced around. "The cupboard." He moved over to it and opened the door. He patted the underside of the open door. "I hit my head on this when I bent down to take my boots off."

Gaius looked at him and sighed. "I suppose your empty head magnified the noise?"

"Yes... wait, what?"

Gaius just smiled. "Keep the noise down Merlin. Goodnight."

"Night," Merlin said with a sheepish grin, as Gaius closed the door and made his way down stairs.

Merlin sighed. He knew Gaius realised that he'd caused the racket with magic, but was thankful that he didn't enquire about it.

He got back onto his hands and knees and looked under his bed. The object that had caught his attention earlier was the claw that had been wrapped around the middle of the stone. He hesitated before reaching out and picking it up.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he examined the twisted piece of metal in his hand. The inscription had been badly damaged; deep gouges ran though the incantation that had caused Merlin to witness the visions of death.

_At least no-one else will be able to read it now and suffer from terrible apparitions,_ he thought, turning it over in his hands.

He threw it into a bucket in the corner of his room, thinking that he'd throw it away when he woke in the morning; it would look too suspicious if he left to dispose of it now.

He got ready for bed and slipped under the covers. Looking up at the ceiling, he thought of the images he'd been shown by the stone.

_I did the right thing_, he thought sleepily, turning over and closing his eyes. _That stone was nothing but trouble._

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><p>Merlin found himself walking through an unfamiliar forest. He had no recollection of how he came to be here. He felt uneasy, but he didn't know why.<p>

His footfalls made no sound as he walked through the trees, aimlessly wandering.

Something behind him made him freeze on the spot. A twig had snapped. It couldn't have been him; his feet were making no noise. Merlin strained to hear more. But there were no sounds. No birds chirping. No wind rustling the leaves over head.

Nothing.

So he continued walking. But as soon as he'd lifted his foot off the ground, he stopped again. This time, he had felt rather than heard; he was being followed.

He whipped around to confront his stalker, but saw no-one. Merlin frowned.

_I know you're here... Come and face me._

"I know you're here!" He called. There was no answer, except that of his echo; his own voice ringing in his ears. "Show yourself!" Again, there was no answer. Merlin waited.

Suddenly, he felt someone grab him from behind and wrap themselves around his arms and body. He struggled, trying to throw off his attacker. Looking down, he saw that he was being bound by a metal claw.

"No!" He cried, thrashing against the metal. "Let me go!"

The claw began squeezing, reducing the space in which Merlin was able to move. He was struggling to breathe. His mind was going numb and his vision was growing dark, but he couldn't give up.

He thrashed and bucked, twisted and turned; did all he could to break free.

Merlin gasped and sat up. He was in his bed, not the forest, and his arms were not bound by a large, metal claw. He lay back down and tried to slow down his breathing. Then something moved near the door.

Merlin stared and tried to stay as still as possible as he watched. A figure materialised out of the shadow; it was dark and looked to be human in shape, but there was no way to be sure.

The figure pointed what seemed to be a hand at Merlin, and muttered something incoherent, before disappearing in a whirlwind of magic.

Merlin sat up slowly and tried to figure out what had just happened. Had they come for the stone? Or had they just come for him? Merlin was used to the fact that there were many different creatures, human and non-human alike, that wanted him, or Arthur, dead. But to have one appear in his _bedroom_ out of no-where, was unnerving to say the least.

He rested his head back on the pillow, closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep. Not an easy thing to do with images of death and shadowy figures racing across your mind like stampeding horses.

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><p>"I will be back as soon as I have secured the outlying regions father."<p>

"I wish you a safe journey, my son."

Arthur was taking a group of Camelots finest Knights to assess a disturbance in one of the outlying villages; word had been brought to Camelot of bandits taking innocent women for their own warped pleasures.

Merlin watched as the Prince rode through the courtyard and out of sight.

"Don't think that you'll be getting ant time off."

Merlin looked round and saw Gaius. "I wouldn't think that you'd ease up on me for a moment," he said to the old physician with a grin.

"Good," Gaius said, grinning back, "because I would like you to pick some mushrooms and vegetables for me."

Merlin frowned. "What kind of remedy needs vegetables?"

"It's not for any remedy, Merlin. It's for our lunch."

"Oh, right."

Ten minutes later, Merlin was on the outskirts of the forest that surrounds Camelot, searching for edible fungi and root vegetables.

The basket he was carrying was about half full, when an all too familiar feeling of foreboding came over him; the same one he had had in his dream.

He had remembered his dream when he woke up that morning, not to mention the figure that had appeared to him, but he chose not to dwell. He had promptly grabbed the claw from the bucket and stuffed it into his pocket. Once he had reached the privacy of the forest, he had dug a shallow trench and buried the claw. Any feelings of unease had disappeared as he covered the piece of metal with dirt.

But now the hairs on the back of his neck were on edge and his heart was beating wildly in his chest. He felt as though he was being watched. Placing the basket slowly onto the ground, he casually turned his head to survey the area.

He had expected to see nothing, his feeling of unease merely an after effect of such a vivid dream. But he saw a cloaked figure through the trees, which looked as though it had been walking away from the gates of Camelot.

_The figure from last night!_

Merlin found himself, no longer anxious, but seething with fury. They had violated his privacy and he wanted to know why. He started to move after them, intent on gaining the answers that he sought, but stopped himself.

_If I go barging over to them,_ he thought quickly, _I could get hurt. Who knows how strong they are? To be able to either scale the smooth castle walls to get into my bedroom, or sneak through the castle undetected, they must have power. Be-it magical or physical... Maybe I should follow them. But I don't know where they're going- it could take them hours to reach their destination and Gaius will worry if I'm away too long_.

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><p><strong>YOU DECIDE!<strong>

**What should Merlin do next?**

**Option A: He follows the figure, to find out what they're up to.**

**Option B: He confronts them about why they were in his bedroom.**

**Please vote for what you want to happen next! =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, just let me say sorry =/ I thought that being done with uni for the summer I'd have more time to update, but my mum has other ideas -_- grrrr- she's got me ironing and doing countless jobs so I am really sorry for the lack of updates, but I'll try to update sooner next time.**

**Ok, so the verdict is: **Option A: He follows the figure, to find out what they're up to.****

****You all seem to be protective of Merlin and someone said there was a lack of action, but that _will_ be changing soon lol.****

****So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.****

****Enjoy!****

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><p>Merlin closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. Taking one last look at the distant walls of Camelot through the trees, he set off, intent on following the cloaked figure to see where they were headed. He walked behind them, keeping a safe distance and being as quiet as he could, so they wouldn't detect him.<p>

_Who _are _they? _Merlin thought intensely as he followed them through the forest. Various bushes and roots pulled at his trousers and jacket, plucking and ripping the fabric. _Where are they going? And what the _hell _do they want?_

They walked for what seemed like hours, venturing deeper into the forest- parts that Merlin had never explored, not even on hunting trips with Arthur. The trees grew closer together here and the roots protruded from the ground in harsh, twisted loops, making it harder for Merlin to pursue his mark quietly. The bushes and thickets became larger and wilder, nicking Merlin's already ruined clothing and scratching his skin, adding to the struggle. The light became poorer because the canopy of leaves overhead was so dense, and Merlin almost lost track of the cloaked figures whereabouts a few times.

The young warlock was at war with himself. On one hand he was determined to find out who this person, or creature, was. But on the other, his patience was wearing thin. He was growing tired and hungry. Gaius would be wondering where he was.

Merlin sighed softly. _I'll follow for another ten minutes,_ he thought resolutely, thinking he'd go home if he hadn't found anything in that amount of time. _Maybe there's something in my book about that stone… I could go back now and check…_ But as soon as he'd thought of turning back, noises were heard in the distance.

Voices.

With a new found interest and vigour, Merlin picked up his pace, all the while staying a decent distance behind the mysterious figure.

New thoughts began to form in his head: did these people… or beings… worship the stone? Was it their deity and had he destroyed their protector? No… who would worship something that carried such evil visions within? Did they want to sell it? Something that powerful was surely going to be paid handsomely for on the magical black market…

The voices got louder and the cloaked figure picked up their pace. So did Merlin, not wanting to lose his quarry when he felt he was so close to getting answers to the question he had had for some time. The figure rounded a large oak tree and Merlin hurried to see where they had gone. But as soon as he peered round the huge trunk, they had disappeared.

Heart in his mouth, Merlin hurried forward to try and locate them. He saw tents through the trees- twenty, maybe thirty. Laughter could be heard, as well as the barking of dogs. As Merlin crept closer, he saw that the camp consisted of mainly men with perhaps three or four women. He could see no children, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Creeping closer still, Merlin managed to conceal himself behind a large bush where he was able to observe the inhabitants of this camp, without being caught.

The men were all large and extremely muscular. They were all bald and looked like they had had to deal with many unpleasant situations, making their features hard and mean. They all wore roughly sewn brown leather clothes and black leather boots. Some were sitting and talking, some sharpening swords or playing with vicious looking dogs, and others were chasing the women in what looked like an aggressive manner.

The women, however, weren't running from them, screaming in terror, as Merlin thought they would have been doing. They were leaping away from their advances, almost teasing them, and they seemed to be laughing, enjoying the chase. Each woman wore a short skirt, which seemed to be made out of the same leather as the men's clothing, and what looked like a small, black leather corset. On their feet, they wore the same black leather boots. Their features seemed almost as hard and uncaring as the males of these people, but still held a glimmer of softness.

As Merlin looked closer, he saw that each of the men had been brandished with a magical mark, on the right hand side of their neck. It looked like an eye, with a black iris, bursting from a blood red sphere. The women had the same mark on the left said of their neck.

_They must be sorcerers, _Merlin thought. _They probably have that mark so they can prove they are loyal to… whatever cause they serve_. As he watched the inhabitants he saw a particularly large male rise from his seat and start to make his way toward the edge of the camp. Merlin followed, remembering the reason he came here.

He walked around the edge of the camp, keeping the large man in his sights. As they came to the edge of the camp, the cloaked figure came into view once more. Merlin stopped behind a small tree and crouched low. The pair seemed to be conversing, but Merlin couldn't hear what they were saying. So he crept closer, taking care to move slowly and quietly.

"-was taken."

The large man looked at the cloaked figure sceptically. "You mean you dropped it?" The figure didn't answer. "Cyrus?"

Merlin heard a sigh come from under the hood of the cloak. "Yes."

"And? Where is it now?"

"It has been destroyed."

Merlin frowned. He couldn't tell whether the person under the hooded cloak was male of female.

Worry flashed across the large man's face. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "How will we continue from here? Without the stone, Uther will not suffer the visions. How do we overthrow him now?"

"Do not despair Brydan, there is always the talisman."

"But that will take time!" Brydan hissed angrily. "Arthur is on patrol, but he cannot stay away from Camelot forever. He was supposed to return to a Kingdom in despair, due to its King having gone mad!"

"Leave the talisman to me. Our plans have not yet changed."

Brydan fixed the figure under the hood with a steely gaze, then sighed. "Fine. Were you followed?"

Cyrus seemed to twitch, ever so slightly underneath the cloak, but Brydan didn't seem to notice. "No."

"Ok." Cyrus nodded and began to walk away. "Whatever you're planning to do Cyrus, you had better do it quickly."

Cyrus backtracked and leaned closer to the large man, muttering something inaudible. Merlin strained, but he couldn't hear.

Cyrus straightened up. "Keep it safe." Brydan nodded and Cyrus walked away from the camp.

The large man turned and headed back into the camp, toward the centre, muttering something about having to do 'servant work'. Merlin smiled as he pictured Brydan working for Arthur, mucking out his stables and washing his clothes.

Merlin sighed as he looked from the retreating back of Cyrus, to Brydan heading further into the camp.

_What do I do now? _He thought. _I can't be in two places at once. These people have a plan to take over Camelot and I need to stop it, but where do I go? _He weighed up the options, not entirely sure of how to approach the situation. _Right, _he thought, _I could follow Brydan and see what it is he need to protect- it could be the talisman. If so, it could only mean bad news for Camelot and therefore needs destroying. But… the one in the cloak seems to be the main threat. Cyrus was the one to come to Camelot, the one to try and send Uther mad- the one who came into my bedroom! I have to know what it is that he, or she, is up to._

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><p><strong>YOU DECIDE!<strong>

**What should Merlin do next?**

**Option A- He follows Brydan, the large man from the camp, to see what he needs to protect.**

**Option B- He follows Cyrus, the cloaked figure, to see where they are headed and confront them about the plan to take over Camelot.**

**Thanks for reading ^_^ and vote for what you want to happen!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello! Ugh, I know I must suck for not uploading sooner, but things were hectic at home for a while (nightmare visits from relatives are NOT enjoyable lol)**

**Anyway, thanks again to all who voted, you all make my day you really do ^_^_^_^ and the verdict is:**

****Option B- He follows Cyrus, the cloaked figure, to see where they are headed and confront them about the plan to take over Camelot.****

****Again, I'm sorry if that isn't what you originally voted for, but I hope I did this chapter justice and that you all like it anyway =D****

****Enjoy!****

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><p>Merlin glanced at Brydan's retreating back, then turned to Cyrus, who was quickly disappearing through the throng of trees.<p>

_I _have _to find out who Cyrus is,_ he thought desperately, setting off after the cloaked figure. _I need to know what they intend to do now the stone has been destroyed._ So Merlin followed Cyrus through the forest, trying to keep as quiet as he could as he stepped on twigs and rustled through bushes.

They hadn't been walking long when they came across a narrow stream. Merlin hid behind a tree and positioned himself so he could watch what Cyrus was up to without being seen easily. When he poked his head around the trunk of the tree, he saw that Cyrus had let the cloak fall to the floor.

Cyrus was a woman, which wasn't what Merlin had truly been expecting. She was kneeling on the ground with her back to him, her hands in the stream, cupping water to splash on her face and arms. Merlin saw she had the same magical brand that the other members of the camp did, but on the top of her back. When she stood up, she turned and picked up the discarded cloak to dry herself off.

She wore a long revealing dress that was made of a peculiar, pale silver material, that seemed to shimmer, like water when hit with the suns rays. It was tied at the back of her neck and trailed down her front, only just covering her womanhood, to create a 'V' shape below her navel. The dress left her back completely bare and fell down to her ankles. It had long slits, running down in front of each leg which started at mid thigh and revealed black leather sandals, strapped to her knees. She had a crop of short, straight, jet black hair, that had a dark blue hue to it when the sun caught it. Her skin was pale, which caused her violet eyes to shine unnaturally bright and her painted lips to glow ruby red.

She dropped the cloak after she'd dried herself and smirked. "I know you followed me Emrys." Merlin grimaced and hid himself fully behind the tree. Her grin widened. "Come forth and ask the questions that you desperately want answered."

He sighed. _There's no point in continuing to hide,_ he thought,_ she already knows I'm here. _He stepped from behind the tree to reveal himself. She took a few steps closer to him, her eyes travelling his body, scrutinising every last inch of him. A hundred questions were buzzing through his head, but there was one that stood out from all the rest.

"Why were you in my bedroom?" He knew it had been her, the one in the grounds and in his bedroom last night.

"I wanted to retrieve the stone," she told him in a soft, but dangerous voice. "But when I saw that you had destroyed it, there was no longer any reason for me to be there."

Merlin frowned. "Why didn't you kill me?"

"It was never, nor shall it ever be, my wish to harm you, Emrys."

"But you wish to harm Camelot?"

She smiled. "Not Camelot, just it's King."

Merlin shook his head. "You can't do that. Arthur isn't ready to become King."

She cocked her head to one side and stared at him curiously. "You would protect Uther? The man who would burn you at the stake within the blinking of an eye if he were to discover your secret, the man who must perish for magic to be restored to the realm… you would protect _him_?"

"Arthur isn't ready to become King," he repeated firmly. He knew he lived in a Kingdom where his powers were punishable by death... but if Uther was killed before Arthur was ready to become ruler, Albion would never be born. He frowned as a thought struck him. "You said you wanted to overthrow Uther... ah, you want to claim Camelot for your own," he said, realisation dawning on his face. "You want to name yourself ruler." She said nothing and simply smiled, her eyes glinting maliciously. "Arthur would have returned to a Kingdom that had been thrown into chaos. Camelot would be weak and you would have been able to take over easily."

"You're smarter than you look," she said sneeringly.

Merlin ignored the jibe. "I destroyed the stone," he said with a small smile. "Uther cannot suffer at your hand now."

"Perhaps not at the moment," she said. Then she smiled wickedly. "But you can suffer."

She whispered words of the Old Religion and Merlin heard what sounded like a multitude of whips cracking the air. Two grey whirlwinds appeared on either side of Cyrus and from them materialised two of the large men from the camp. They rounded on Merlin and leered, cracking their fingers, which seemed to be itching to curl around his throat.

As they advanced, he barked instinctive words of magic, which sent large balls of light hurtling towards his foes. This would usually cause an enemy to be knocked backwards and thrown off their feet, but not these men. They grunted in pain as the ball of light hit them, but they were otherwise un-phased, shrugging off the magic and continuing their advances.

Cyrus laughed. "You will have to do better than that to defeat my men!"

Merlin's heart was pounding against his ribcage. _She must be the leader of this cult_, he thought as he tried to back away from the large thugs.

But his path was blocked. Before he could turn around, he felt someone wrapping their arms around him, keeping him from escaping. He half hoped that he it was a huge metal claw that was binding him; something to signify that it was all a dream. But it was two huge, beefy arms that bound him now.

He heard a throaty cackle. "No where to run now, boy." It was Brydan. He must have appeared behind him to block his escape route.

Cyrus laughed as she watched him struggle. "Uther may not suffer the visions," she said, an evil glint in her eye, "but there are always other ways we can gain control over Camelot, all of which require you incapacitated." She whispered words of magic in a tongue that was foreign to Merlin. Her eyes shone gold and a pale lilac mist seeped delicately from her fingertips.

"You said you didn't want to hurt me!" Merlin yelled, panic setting in. as he watched the mist waft toward him.

"It will not harm you in any way," she told him as the mist crept closer. "It will merely render you unconscious." Cyrus stalked ahead of the mist, which was now mere inches away from his face, her dress fluttering fluidly behind her. She leant in close to his ear. "I want you bear witness to the fall of Camelot," she whispered. "A new age is dawning!"

"No!" He yelled. Then the mist was upon him. It entered his mouth and nose, dulling his senses, making his eyelids grow heavy and causing his knees to buckle. Brydan held him and prevented him from falling to the ground. He tried to fight the effects of the mist, but it was useless.

The last thing he remembered was a pair of vivid, violet eyes staring at him and a pair of red lips, twisted in a vicious sneer.

~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~

When Merlin woke, he found himself in an enormous cavern, crudely sectioned into cells with magically conjured bars; they were engulfed in a bright blue flame, so escape was highly improbable. He saw, through the mouth of the cave, that it was the middle of the night. He could just about make out the outline of other prisoners and people walking around that must have been the guards.

"Finally woke up then?"

The voice made him flinch and caused him to frantically search the cell for the individual it belonged to. He saw by the dim light, he was sharing the cell with a withered looking old man. He had a large, shaggy mane of grey hair and wore clothes that were tattered, and so dirty, they looked like they hadn't seen soap in a long time.

"Who are you?" He managed to ask.

The old man only snorted. "Names. What do they matter?" He laughed. It was short and humourless. "That's not the question you should be asking, boy." His voice was low and husky, his tone hard and sharp.

Merlin frowned. "What _should_ I be asking then?" He asked testily. Merlin had had a rough day, and he was in no mood for any lip from anyone.

The old man crawled over to him, until their faces were only a few inches apart. Merlin could smell that hygiene wasn't something this man focused on. "The question is 'how do we escape'?" The old man said.

Before Merlin had a chance to answer, the old man had crawled away to a dark recess at the back of their cell. He placed a hand on a stone and muttered a short incantation. The stone melted away, merging with the surrounding rocks to create a dark, narrow tunnel that sloped downward slightly.

The old man crawled forward, but before entering the tunnel, he turned to face Merlin. "Are you coming?"

Merlin frowned again. "Where?"

He sighed impatiently. "Are you coming or not?" He asked again, this time, more aggressively.

"Where?" Merlin repeated firmly.

The old man grunted in frustration. "Fine. Stay here and get killed if you want!" And with that, he began crawling slowly through the narrow passageway, away from the makeshift dungeon.

"Wait! Where are you going?" But Merlin got no answer.

He began to make his way over to the tunnel to follow the old man, but stopped.

_How do I know I can trust him?_ Merlin thought as he stared down into the dark tunnel. _Just because he was a prisoner like me, doesn't mean he has good intentions._

Merlin sat down and wondered whether it would be in his better interest to stay or escape. As he pondered this, screams erupted from several other cells in the cave. Screams of terror that were mingled with malicious laughter. The noise was magnified by the cave and the slimey walls distorted the sound, making it seem grotesque and inhuman. _They're torturing the prisoners!_ Merlin realised.

He was torn.

_If I stay here, I'm sure to get tortured by these brutes. I'm definitely no match for them physically and my magic was almost useless against them earlier… On the other hand, if I go down into the tunnel, I could be walking into a trap, well, crawling into one. Although I think I'd have a decent chance of defending myself against that odd old man, even if he does have magic… I guess I have to pick the lesser of two evils._

* * *

><p><strong>YOU DECIDE!<strong>

**Option A: Merlin stays in the cell and waits to see what the guards will do to him.**

**Option B: Merlin takes his chances and follows the old man into the dark tunnel.**

**Thanks for reading ^_^ and vote for what you want to happen!**


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